Shoe cleaner



E. H. TRICK SHOE CLEANER Filed March 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E 2:16 YWCR' Patented July 15, 1924..

EDGAR H. TRICK, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.

SHOE CLEANER.

Application filed March 7, 1923. Serial No. 623,480.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR H. TRICK, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Antonio, in the county of BeXar and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an attachment for automobiles by the use of which mud may be removed from the shoes of persons intending to enter the automobile, and the object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive and easily manipulated device which, when not in use, will be disposed beneath the running board of the vehicle out of the way but which may be easily brought into operative position when its use is desired and will be firmly supported in the operative position. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and consists in certain novel features which will be particularly pointed out in the claims following a detailed description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved attachment in operative position with the running board of the vehicle indicated by dotted lines:

Fig. 2 is a sectional end elevation;

Fig. 3 is a plan View, and

Fig. 4 is a side view.

The running board 1 may be of the usual I or any preferred form and is illustrated as stamped from sheet steel and provided with a depending flange 2 along its outer edge. T o the under side of the running board at any convenient point thereof and preferably ad aCent the door of the vehicle body, I secure a bracket 3 which has its intermediate portion depressed to present a U-shaped body and has its ends constructed with openings 4: through which and the running board securing bolts 5 may be inserted,

' nuts 6 mounted on the said bolts being turned home against the under sides of the said end portions of the bracket so as to firmly clamp the same to the running board. While I have shown the bracket as secured directly to the running board, it will, of course, be understood that, if the running board should be of very light material, a board or other reinforcing member may be disposed between the bracket and the running board so as to provide a firmer sup port for the bracket and prevent buckling of the running board. The bracketis also provided with a central opening through which a bolt 7 may be fitted, the head 8 of the bolt bearing against the upper surface of the bracket and the stem or shank of the bolt depending below the same to receive lock nuts 9 whereby it will be retained in place and the scraper 10 supported. The scraper consists of a fiat bar twisted upon itself intermediate its ends, as shown at 11,

whereby its inner portion may be presented horizontally to the under surface of the bracket and be pivotally mounted thereon by the bolt 7 and the nuts 9, as will be readily understood. A spring washer 12 is fitted about the bolt between the lock nuts and the inner end of the scraper so that pivotal movement of the scraper will be permitted and the scraper will be held in its inner position beneath, the running board,

as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. The outer portion of the scraper is cut away in its upper edge so as to present a recess or notch 13 in which the user may place his foot so that, by moving his foot across the edge of the scraper, the mud and other matter adhering to the shoe. may be easily removed. At the free end of the scraper on the upper edge thereof is a tread plate 14 which may be engaged by the user so as to readily return the scraper to its inoperative position after it has-been used. Rigidly secured to the inner extremity of the scraper and extending laterally therefrom is an arm or push bar 15 having its outer extremity turned downwardly, as shown at 16, and disposed at the edge of the running board or step in the retracted position of the scraper. The downturned end 16 is preferably knurled so that it may be easily engaged by the toe of the shoe and thereby manipulated so as to swing the scraper into position for use. The bracket 3 is disposed transversely of the running board and to the front end of the bracket is rigidly secured a locking plate 17 having a notch 18 in its lower edge and having a beveled surface 19 leading from one end to the said notch.

It is thought the use of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. When the device is not in use, it will assume the position shown in Fig. 3 andiby dotted lines in Fig.

1 in which the scraper lies in rear of the outer edge of the running board and the push bar or arm 15' is immediately at the front edge of the running board or .possibly slightly in front of the same so that it is visible but does not project to such an extent as to be unsightly or be liable to be struck by persons standing or moving around the vehicle and thereby prematurely actuated. When the scraper is to be used, a slight push is given the said arm so that it will be moved inwardly under the running board and inasmuch as the arm is secured rigidly to the scraper, the movementof the arm will "be transmitted directly to the scraper so that the latter will be swung =pivotally and projected slightly beyond the running board.

The user may then engage the tread plate '14 so as to push the scraper to the outer limit of its movement which will be determined by an edge of the scraper impinging against the wall 20 defini-ngthe far side of the notch 18, the scraper being slightly resilient so that it will ride readily under the beveled or inclined edge 19 of the looking plate and-slip into engagement with the recess or notch 18, as shown in full lines in Fig. l. The scraper may then be used so as :to remove all the mud and dirt from the shoes, after which the user will return the scraper to its inoperative position by press ing downwardly upon the tread plate lei so as to release the scraper bar from the notch 18,- after which a rearward push upon the scraper will return it through a pivotal movement to its normal inoperative position, the return movement continuing until the arm 15 abuts the end of the locking plate, as shown in Fig. 3. In using the device, it will be found convenient to clean the shoe on one foot first and then place said foot upon the running board so asto stand thereon and subsequently clean the shoe upon the other foot, after which the return movement of the scraper may be imparted there to by the foot nearer the outer edge of the running board. The device can, of course, be arranged upon either side of the vehicle.

My device is exceedingly simple and may be readily applied to any vehicle at a very slight expense. Upon reference to Fig. 3, it will be noted that, when the device is not in use, it will be entirely within'the lines of the running board'so that it is not apt to be struck and accidentally projected but may be easily swung into position when its use is desired. The end walls of the notch 18 are fiat and vertical so that they will engage the side edges of the scraper bar firmly and will effectually hold it in the position for use. To hold the bolt against movement while the nuts '9 are being turned home, a tooth 22 may be struck up from the base of the bracket 3, as shown, to bear against the side of the bolt head.

prising a scraper, a bracket to be secured to the under side of a running board, means for pivotally mounting the scraper upon the bracket for movement in a plane parallel with the running board, a push arm secured to the inner end of the scraper and projecting laterally therefrom toward the outer edge of the running board when the scraper is retracted whereby it may be actuated to .project'the scraper, said :arm being adapted to impinge against the bracket to limit the retracting movement of the scraper, and means at the outer end of the bracket for locking the scraper in its projected position.

A device for the purpose set forth-comprising a scraper, means for pivotally mounting the scraper on the under side of a vehicle running board for movement in a plane parallel therewith, the scraper being normally inoperative and lying wholly beneath the running board, a locking plate to be mounted beneath the running board and constructed to be engaged by the scraper in the projected position of the latter, and means to be disposed below the running board for moving the scraper into engagement with said locking plate whereby the scraper will be held in operative position projecting laterally beyond the running board.

8. A device for the purpose set forth comprising a scraper, means for pivotally mounting the scraper below a running board for movement in a plane parallel with the running board, a push arm secured tothe inner end of the scraper and projecting laterally therefrom toward theouter edge of the running board when the scraper is re tracted whereby it may be actuated to project the scraper, and means to be mounted beneath the running board for locking the scraper in its projected position.

4. A device for the purpose set forth comprising an attaching bracket .to be secured to the under side of a vehicle running board, a scraper pivotally secured to said bracket and disposed below the same, a locking plate secured to one end of said bracket and provided with a notch in its lower edge and having an inclined surface leading to said notch whereby upon pivotal movement of the scraper the latter will ride into engagement with said notch and will be thereby held in projected position, and a pusher arm rigidly secured to the inner end of the scraper and projecting laterally therefrom toward the outer edge of the running board when the scraper is retracted beneath the latter.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. 

